'There is no support’ – Prisons DG explains why ex-inmates are likely to return 

The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, has proposed creating employment opportunities in factories for discharged prisoners to help prevent commiting further offences.

She said many former inmates struggle to adjust to life outside prison because they lose access to basic necessities and lack the family support and financial means to survive.

Speaking at Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday, October 20, she suggested linking prison industries to employment opportunities that would allow former inmates to earn a living after their release.

Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie explained that some discharged prisoners return to criminal activities because the difficulties they encounter outside prison make reintegration challenging.

“It has been proven that inmates are likely to return within the first three months of discharge,” she said.

She noted that although prison conditions might be difficult, inmates have access to basic provisions such as food, water and sanitation, unlike some former prisoners who struggle to meet these needs after their release.

According to her, some former inmates also face rejection from their families and may be drawn back into criminal activities by friends who offer them money for unlawful acts.

To address the problem, the Prisons Service is proposing that factories established under the government’s 24-hour economy programme should provide employment opportunities for inmates and discharged prisoners.

She added that the proposed arrangement would allow former inmates to return to work in the factories while living in their communities, helping them rebuild their lives and reduce the risk of returning to crime.